U.S. Debut for Beat Hollow

Earlier in the Santa Anita meet, trainer Bobby Frankel had the classy Lord Flasheart ready to fire after an extended layoff.

The bay horse, who had been away since June 2000, beat a solid field in an allowance race Dec. 30, including the well-regarded South American Straight Flush.

Frankel will try to repeat the feat this afternoon when Beat Hollow makes his long-awaited U.S. debut in today’s seventh, a 11/8-mile turf allowance that drew five others.

Away since winning a Group I at Longchamp in France on June 25, 2000, Beat Hollow is the 4-5 favorite on Jeff Tufts’ morning line as he goes for his fourth win in his fifth start.

A 5-year-old son of Sadler’s Wells owned by Juddmonte Farms, Beat Hollow will race on Lasix for the first time.

Besides his victory in the Grand Prix de Paris, the bay horse broke his maiden at first asking at Yarmouth in England on Sept. 16, 1999, and won a listed stakes at Newmarket on May 5, 2000.

If Beat Hollow is upset, the most likely winner is Little Ghazi. A 6-year-old gelding, he has won two in a row since arriving in California and has won 10 of 26 on the grass in a career that began in New York. Claimed for $80,000 earlier in the month by Pat Gallagher, Little Ghazi again will be ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye.

Rounding out the field are Sign Of Hope, Lily’s Lad, a four-time winner on the turf, Green Jaro and longshot Res Judicata.

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Race of the day: The fourth is for cheap fillies and mares, but the 51/2-furlong dash looks wide open. The 3-1 choice on the morning line is the comebacking My Bouquet.

Who’s hot: Greg Gilchrist. He has the highest winning percentage of any trainer in the top 10 at Golden Gate Fields. The veteran won with 11 of his first 38 starters at the meet.

Who’s not: Inspector Tennison. The World Stage filly has been blitzed in all four of her races and figures to get pounded again in today’s fourth at Gulfstream Park.

Exotically speaking: A pick four using Patio Boy and Buzzword in the fifth, Lake Perris Red and While We’re Here in the sixth, singling Beat Hollow in the seventh and Shadow Face, Lady Boundary, My Darling Brocco and Hurry Up Haleigh in the eighth.

Winners: Previous Day/Meet Total: 2/75. Money: Previous Day/Meet Total: $12.80/$486.40. Total money bet: $444.